If the original Star Wars saga unfolded like the Millennium Trilogy, Luke Skywalker would have still destroyed the Death Star at the conclusion of A New Hope. However, the battle would not have continued on Hoth, Bespin, and Endor; rather The Empire Strikes Back would have consisted of Darth Vader’s meticulous attempts to frame the rebel pilot and The Return of the Jedi would have been Luke’s return after an acquittal. The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo proved to be an atypical and intriguing film that was overwhelmed by two tepid sequels.
The Girl Who Played with Fire was tolerable under the premise that it was the slow interlude between two thrilling movements. The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest was just bad; even more so since the first film in the series showed how good the premise could be.
Lisbeth and Mikael displayed great chemistry during the first part and the mystery was very compelling. The second chapter, detailing a massive government conspiracy, was slightly more stereotypical. This was merely a predictable legal adventure that was not very adventurous at all. It may be somewhat interesting for some to see a huge government conspiracy come apart but this film covers no new ground.
Last time, the two protagonists shared the screen briefly and each moment mattered; this time, there are no significant moments between the two. In addition, the first hour is an unnecessary and dreary recap of the two previous episodes. *